Hoop-skirt



(ModeL) L. GALLAHER.

HOOP'SKIRT.

No. 277,263. Patented May 8,1883.

N. PEIERS. mlommgnww. Wuhinpm. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LORINDA GALLAHER, OF WHEELING, NEST VlRGINIA HOOP-SKIRT.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersjIPatent No. 277,263, dated May8, 1883,

I I Application filed September 19, 1882. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LORINDA. GALLAHER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Wheeling, in the county ofOhio and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Hoop-Skirts; and'I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form apart ofthis specification.

This invention has relation to improvements in hoop-skirts; and itconsists in the construction, combination, and arrangements of theseveral parts forming the same, substantially as hereinafter fullydescribed, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a rear view pending from the waistband orbelt, as shown.,

The rear straps, b, are secured close together to the belt and divergetoward their connection with the skirt or lower portion of thehoop-skirt, as shown. r

0 represents the skirt or lower portion of the hoop-skirt, supported onthe straps b 1) b and formed of drilling or some other strong mate rialto form the wire and whalebone cases. In the front the portion 0 is cutaway between the strapsb b and down nearly to its lower edge, forming atriangular-shaped knee-opening, (1, widest at the top and terminating ina point at its bottom, sufficient of the portion 0 being left below theopening to form a strap for securing the opposite sides in front. Thisknee-opening permits a free movement of the knees of the wearer,as willbe described. I stifien the top of the portion 0 by wires 61, theopposite ends of which are secured on either side of the opening (I, andextend entirely around the rear portion of the skirt, and are incased insuitable pockets formed of the material forming the skirt or portion 0,as shown.

61 is a cross-strap having its opposite ends made fast to the straps bb, slightly above the top of portion 0, as shown. This band is stiffenedand braced by wires placed in suitable pockets formed in its upper andlower edges;

d is an apron secured to the strap d and hanging over theopenin g d. Isecure the sides of the apron to the straps b, and also to the portion 0"for a short distance from the top, along the sides of the knee-openingd, to prevent its being worked upward by the movement of the clothing inwalking, and I let the lower portion hang free. I gather the upper edgeof the apron in securing it to the strap 0?, so that it will be fullover the opening at and permit a free movement of the-knees through thesame, and yet prevent the skirts being forced through said openingagainst the person of the wearer. In the rear I slit the portion 0 fromthe bottom to the wires (1, providing the slit 0, and there is a freeopening movement at the bottom, which is properly limited by the strap 0c are pockets formed on either side of the slit 0 at the bottom. Theends of the lower wires, 0 work in these pockets 0", as will bedescribed. I take two wires, 0 of a suitable length, and bend them inthe middle, as shown in Fig. 4, and loop one with the other, lappingthem loosely, so they will slide freely in the operation of the device,as will be described. I place the looped ends in the pockets 0, andcarry the opposite ends within the pockets formed on the lower side ofthe portion 0 to the front of the skirt, terminating at short distanceon either side of the point of opening (I, as shown in Fig. 2. The wires0 secured as shown, slide freely in the pockets in the rear -of theportion 0, and permit the hoops to be widened in taking a long step, orentering a carriage, or climbing a fence.

e is the bustle, secured to the waist-belt and,

straps b b in suitable position in the rear at 0r about the same pointof connection of the straps b I) with the belt. It is made. preferablyof a single wire bent to form a series of concentric hoops of such sizethat each inner hoop is less in diameter than the nextor adjacent outerhoop. These several hoops are ar- It will be seen that g ranged invertical and parallel or nearly parallel planes, and are securedtogether by the straps e and the central back-strap,e in such mannerthat they form a bustle somewhat in the form of a cone. The bustle issecured to the waistband a, as shown. The straps e e serve to hold thehoops of the bustle in proper relative position, and also prevent thefolds of the overskirt from being forced between any of the adjacenthoops. The skirt-supporting straps b have their upper ends made fast tothe waistband at about the same point thereon from which the bustle issuspended. Their lower ends are carried downward under and detached fromthe bustle, and are passed out ward between two of the lower adjacenthoops or coils, and on opposite sides of the backstrap 6 so that theymay swing freely and independently of. the said bustle. Ordinarily thestraps 6 form a sufficient brace for the bustle,-and the strap 6 needonly connect the two outer coils, its function being to limit the sidemotion of the lower end of the bustle.

f represents whalebone strips secured in pockets formed diagonallybetween the wires 0 and d in the skirt or portion 0, and also along theedges of the opening d and slit 0, and give suitable stiffness to theportion a.

It will be understood that any number of pairs of wires 0* can beemployed. Ordinarily two pairs are sufficient, and in some cases onepair will afford the necessary stiffness. The ends in the pockets, beingbent and lapped, as described, do not tear or otherwise injure thepockets, and are kept in proper position.

In my device the main body or skirt is so formed that its upper edge ison the same level with or but slightly above the knees, and it issuspended on the straps b 1) b so that it has a free movement. It iscomposed, as shown, of two series of hoops, d and 0 These hoops do notextend entirely but only partially around the skirt. Space is leftbetween their front ends, as shown. The upper hoops have a wider spacebetween them than the lower hoops have. The ends of the lower hoops arebrought closer together, and are united by the textile connecting-web 9,while the ends of the upper hoops are wholly disconnected. The lowerseries of hoops are each made in two parts, and bent at their rear endsand interlapped, as hereinbefore described. Between the two series ofhoops d 0 I place the skirtstifl'eners f, of which I employ two or moreon each side. These stiffeners have their ends placed against thelowerhoop of the series (1 and against the upper hoop of the series oThey are arranged in the inclined position shown, and aid in holding theskirt .in proper shape. The horizontal strap or supporter d is made ofany stiff material which will preserve curved or arched shape. I make itof two short pieces of hoop suitablylcovered, as shown. It has its. endssecured to the front pendent straps, b, at pointsv above the main body0. It supports the front overskirts of the wearer. To this suporsupplemental skirt 61 which extends down over the knee-opening in themain body and -is secured, as hereinbefore set forth.

By the construction and arrangement of the device hereinbefore describedI provide ahoopskirt which possesses great flexibility, and which willadapt itself' to the position of the wearer whether standing or sitting,and will preserve the overskirts in the very best draping. The bustle ismade of a. single piece of hooping bent as hereinbefore described. Ithas its upper end made fast to thewaistband a, and is by preferencetacked to the two rear pendent straps, b This permits the bustle toextend well around to the sides, to give proper drooping to theover-garments. The rear pendants, b are passed down between the wires,as hereinbefore described. WV hen so arranged all weight and strain aretaken off the bustle. It more readily adjusts itself, or, rather,retains its normal shape and position, when the wearer sits down.Themovementsofthelowerskirt,c, do not affect the position of the bustle.WVhen the wearer sitsdown, the top edge of the body 0 falls into theflexion of the knee-joint, and the porter 61 I secure the upper end ofthe apron expansibility of said body permits the clothing to dropgracefully to the floor around the feet.

My object has been particularly to remedy the difficulties incident tothe hoop-skirts of ordinary construction. In walking, the ordinaryhoop-skirt will crawl up the front, and in order to obviate this Iprovide the whalebone strips falong the portion 0, and use fewer wirehoops, and incase those used in pockets instead of hanging them onstraps, and by providing the knee-opening d for the knees in walking,stepping over obstacles, or sitting down. Also, when the wires are hnn gon straps, they rub the shoes, and often catch the back foot in steppingas the other foot is carried forward. Also, bare hoops are likely tocatch on snags or nails in walking and trip the wearer. The ordinaryhoops are also often too narrow to permit a long step over a ditch or upinto a carriage, and in order to obviate this I provide the opening orslit 0 in the back of the skirt or portion 0, and lap the lower wires orhoops, so they will easily slide and give room for a long step, and thenfallback to their normal position. The hoops lapping as described willpermit the wearer to walk in a narrow passage or sit down. withoutpushing the skirts out. The apron serves as a covering for theknee-opening, and prevents the ends of the wire or hoops d from slippingunder the knee in walking.

It will be understood that it might be desirable to construct the hoops.entirely open at front-that is, without the strap below the knee-openingd-and have the wearer put on the apron after purchasing the main portionof the skirt. I prefer, however, the construction before described, asit seems more convenient and serviceable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s

1. 'The combination, with the main body 0,

having an opening for the knees on its front side, and the pendentsupporting-straps I) b b attached to the waistband a, of the horizontalsupporter d arranged above the body 0, and the apron d having its upperend made fast to the supporter d and its lower end extended down andcovering the knee-opening in the body 0, as set forth.

2. A hoop-skirt composed of the waistband a and depending straps andskirt or lower portion, 0, having the knee-openings d and rear slit, 0,the wires or hoops (1, extending entirely around the rear of the skirt 0in pockets formed near the top of the same, and terminating on eitherside of the opening d, and the hoops c doubled at their rear ends andlapping on opposite sides of the slit 0, and terminating in front of theskirt a on opposite sides of the lower pointof opening (I, substantiallyas specified.

3. The combination, in a'hoop-skirt, of the waistband a, the bustle e,composed of a series of concentric hoops arranged in vertical planes andhung upon the waistband and outside of the skirt-supporting straps, andthe skirt-supporting straps b having their upper ends made fast to thebelt and their lower ends passed downward under and detached from thebustle, and thence outward between two of the lower adjacent coils orhoops, and swing "ing freely and independently of the bustle, as

set forth. I 4. In a hoop-skirt, the body 0, composed of the upperhoops, d, disconnected at their front ends, the lower hoops, o, made intwo parts.

and disconnected at their front ends,and having their rear endsinterlapped and sliding one 'upon the other, and a textileconnecting-web,

9, connecting the front ends of the lower hoops,

substantially as set forth.

5. The improved hoop-skirt hereinbefore described, consisting of thebody 0, the series of hoops d 0 disconnected at their front ends,

presence of two witnesses.

LORINDA GALLAHER.

Witnesses M. F. MILLIKEN, JAMES A. HENRY. I

